Bear sightings reported in Emmitsburg

The bear was seen eating birdseed in a residential area on Thursday. Then it was spotted walking near Creamery Road and Seton Avenue at about 6 p.m. Thursday, according to Sgt. Art Windemuth, spokesman for Maryland Natural Resources Police.

“It was just wondering around,” Windemuth said.

Residents first reported seeing a bear Wednesday. Soon after the second sighting on Thursday, it was shot twice with rubber pellets by a DNR police officer to scare it off, according to Windemuth.

No one was injured while the bear roamed, but the authorities received complaints. It is unclear how many calls were received.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office and an Animal Control officer assisted with the call but did not take action. They were on the scene when DNR tried to coax it back into the woods.

“We were there in an educational mode to educate people about bears,” said Harold Domer, director of Frederick County Animal Control.

Windemuth said the bear was probably looking for new territory.

Bear sightings are common in the spring but are not a big problem in the county, he said.

“We receive less than a half dozen calls like this,” Windemuth said.

In some areas of Western Maryland, bears have become a nuisance, but they cannot be removed.

Bears are a part of the state’s natural ecosystem, according to the DNR. With the exception of hunting season, it is illegal to shoot a bear in Maryland and bears are rarely trapped, according the agency’s website.

Experts say trapping and relocating usually does not solve a nuisance problem.

In Emmitsburg, authorities also used noisemakers to scare the bear back into the woods.

The bear was not hurt during its removal. The rubber pellets only sting, Windemuth said.

The sheriff’s office confirmed another bear sighting in Emmitsburg on Friday.

Anyone who comes in contact with a bear should leave it alone, the agency’s website suggests. Bears fear people and will leave when they see you.

For information about black bears, go to dnr.mary land.gov or call 410-260-8540.